An Interview with our Graphic Design Team

Here at CAB Studios our residential design team is made up of three like minded, idea producing, pixel fanatic Graphic Designers. All extremely passionate about what they do, each have a unique perspective on creative. Experienced and full of artistic knowledge we sit our designers down in a mini interview to find out what they’re really all about.

Q1: What’s your USP when it comes to design? What kind of graphic designer are you? Do you have a personal design motto?

Nick: I like simple design with bold colours and simplicity. Love big idea thinking and the story behind identities. Oh, and I’m tall (unlike Tommy and Emma).

Emma: I don’t think I have one specific style, as long as it’s not over complicated (for the sake of it), I like it. I enjoy working on creative concepts and am really interested in how design can be emotive. Also, I don’t have a penis (like Tommy and Nick).

Q2: What was the very first ad or peice of design you created? (Think waaaay back. It doesn’t have to be good!)

Tommy: The very first design I created was a outdoor banner for a council business in Bromsgrove. I had no idea what I was doing, completely winged it, ended up looking pretty cool at the time...probably looks like a dogs dinner if I looked at it now though.

Nick: A postcard for my Dad’s company. I printed 1000 off and hired a van to deliver them. At the time I had no idea what ‘1000 postcards looked like’. Little did I know they all fitted in just one... small… box.

Emma: My very very first was for a uni project. I think I have to represent a phobia through typography (I had fear a of the dark) and cut lots of letters out of card, shone lights through it and photographed it. It looked quite cool thinking about it...

Q3: What's your favourite kind of design project to work on? What gets you really excited and why?

Tommy: It’s no secret I’m a bit of a pixel geek, I love working on all digital projects. From Apps to websites, right from initial wireframing, UX to UI and final output. GIVE ME DIGITAL.

Nick: Brands and conceptual pieces. We as designers are the ones who get to steer the direction of new concepts from the very beginning. You never know what the outcome is going to end up as. The process of getting to the end and seeing things change and develop is always exciting. You get a sense of achievement sitting back at the end of a project and seeing what you’ve created.

Emma: Projects where we can touch all aspects - take something and brand / rebrand it, affecting the personality of the client/brand and how it appears to customers through every channel. Having the freedom to mould and scape every part of a project means we can do what’s best for communicating key messages through creativity and design. Consistency is key and freedom allows us to build strong and consistent brands.

Q4: Who or what has had a big influencer on your creative thinking? Are there any particular designers/photographers you look up to?

Tommy: Paul Rand. His identities are just timeless, clever and beautiful. I also like Rob Lowe, Supermundane, his colourful work and typography has stood out to me since I met him at a Glug event in Birmingham last year (oooh graphics friends).

Nick: I love Noma Bar and Olly Moss. They satisfy the designer and movie geek in me immensely. One of my favourite pieces from Olly Moss is his work for the 85th Oscars; I just love the execution of it. The way he’s used icons from famous movies to create a charismatic design.

These designs are by Noma Bar. I love the use of negative space and encapsulating the essence of the person or character in such simple ways.

Emma: I went to see Annie Atkins talk at Here, London one year and she was amazing. I absolutely love her work and how she creates whole stories and concepts behind what she does. Plus she does a lot of the design for Wes Anderson who is also amazing.

Q5: Best ad you’ve ever set eyes on?

Tommy: Probably the ‘think small’ VW ad. Still works today, was sooooo ahead of its time.

Nick: Guinness White Horses surf video. Tick followed tock, followed tick, followed tock. Beautiful art direction and great creative direction for the brand.

Emma: The Marmite brand is brilliant. Their adverts are bold enough to acknowledge people love or hate their product. They embrace both extremes of how customers feel and shout about it.

Q6: Do you have a favourite tool for your design projects and why?

Tommy: My brain, not many people use it enough.

Nick: Pen and pencil. Allowing free flowing ideas to develop on paper before anything else is a great way to initialize projects.

Emma: Other people / working as a team. Definitely an underrated ‘tool’ - there’s power in numbers! I think there’s huge benefit in a fresh perspective.

Nick: Love a Pistilli. Bold, elegant and stylish. Of which I am none of and therefore aspire to be :).

Emma: I’d be Bodoni, classic yet modern, confident yet not shouty, just beautiful (more of an inspiration of how I’d like to be!)

Q8: If you could eat a colour which would you eat and why?

Tommy: Orange, it's the closest to ginger. And I’m pretty tasty…

Nick:Pink and yellow. Rhubarb and custard. Everytime.

Emma: A whole gradient! All different colours that change creating different tastes (think Willy Wonka!)

Q9: Can you draw? (Do you wish you could?)

Tommy:I can scamp, does that count? I use to be able to draw very well, like cartoon characters and Anime. But since becoming a designer for a living, I don’t really need to “draw” as such. I am pretty handy in woodwork though!

Nick: Like a pro.

Emma: Nope! Would love to be able to though.

Q10: Do you keep any kind of physical or online scrap book for design inspiration?

Tommy: Maybe, who’s asking?

Nick: Physical for my own stuff. Digital for inspiration.

Emma: Yes, lots of inspiration folders on my computer, and in my bookmarks on internet browser. But, I do think inspiration comes when you least expect it.